Newest member of TFC ready to hit the pitch

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — As newly acquired TFC forward Terrence Boyd relaxed in the lobby of the team hotel on Thursday, head coach Greg Vanney walked over and said: “You passed.”

Meaning that Boyd had passed the team physical and was ready to start training with his new club. Needless to say, the 27-year-old striker was over the moon.

“Yeah, because the last two days, all I could do here was just jog and do light passing. And I’m like, ‘Yo, come on.’ So I’m very, very happy to get going today,” Boyd said. “Now I have to make an impression.”

TFC completed the deal this week to bring the U.S. international over from SV Darmstadt 98, a club that plays in Germany’s second division. Boyd has earned 14 caps with the U.S. national team but was born in Bremen, Germany to an American serviceman and his German wife.

He is seen as a quality depth player, a replacement for Canadian forward Tosaint Ricketts, who left in the off-season for Lithuanian A Lyga champions FK Suduva.

TFC captain Michael Bradley, who has played with Boyd on the national side, raved about what he brings to the field.

“Terrence has a physical edge to him and he is big and strong and fearless in terms of how he competes, how he uses his body, how he wants to make contact with defenders,” Bradley said. “He’s a guy who will run balls down and chase and press and fight to (maintain possession) when balls get up to him. And he’ll look to bring people into the game. He’ll run hard in the box.

“We haven’t had a player like Terrence since I’ve been here. Obviously, a guy like Tosaint was important for us in terms of being a guy who could come on in games with some speed and be dangerous. But I think Terrence and his ability to compete, be fearless, be physical, there won’t be many defenders in the league who enjoy playing against him

“He’s a physical presence like Jozy (Altidore). The way that Jozy is able to, even for a big guy, be mobile, float around, come into the midfield, drift left, drift right, make plays on all of those things, that part is so unique. But Terrence is a big, strong physical centre forward who is again fearless in everything he does.”

When asked to critique his game, Boyd laughed and said: “Well, obviously I’m not (Sebastian) Giovinco. I’m a completely different type of player. I’m a typical box player, I like to throw myself into tackles, just be as dangerous as possible in the box to force goals. I’m going to try to contribute to the team whether it’s assists or goals, just to make sure you’re on the winning side.

“I’m a player who’s playing with commitment,” he added. “My motto is to give everything I’ve got on every game day and in practice. Because of the way I was raised – I was raised by hard-working people – I don’t take this job for granted. I just love playing football and I love to give it all I got and hopefully with my power up front I can help the team win and force assists and goals.”

PLAYING MUSICAL PITCHES

The Reds were forced to play musical fields again on Thursday at training camp.

Recent rains have flooded many of the soccer facilities in the Irvine, Calif., area and the club has been forced to move around to find decent fields to train at.

On Wednesday, they practised in SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco, Calif., and later in the day at Orange County Great Park in Irvine.

On Thursday, they trained at the University of California Irvine campus.

BRADLEY FEELS GREAT

Bradley joined TFC at training camp earlier this week from a stint with the U.S. national team, starting in the United States’ 3-0 victory over Panama, a game that saw seven other players earn their first international appearances.

The 31-year-old midfielder was one of the few veterans invited back to a rebuilding U.S. side that failed to qualify for the 2016 World Cup.

Though he has to be careful in terms of keeping his body fit after so many miles put on the pitch over the years, Bradley said attending the national team camp last month was beneficial.

“One of the nice things about that camp is, you get a little bit of a head’s start (on the MLS season),” he said. “Just the chance to be out playing at a high level every day early in the year. You get a lot of good training sessions and I was able to get one real international game under my belt. And that part’s positive.

“And now with Champions League back (starting on Feb.19 against Panamanian side Independiente), there are some big things right around the corner.”

GETTING CLOSE?

Social media was on fire Thursday night with reports that TFC is close to getting striker Jonathan Menendez on a six-month loan from Independiente of Argentina. The 24-year-old Argentine has bounced around clubs in the past few years, most recently cutting short a loan spell at Qatari side Al-Rayyan, where he had one goal in four games. Menendez has also played for Argentine clubs Chacarita Juniors and Talleres de Cordoba, as well as a three-year stint with the reserves of La Liga’s Sevilla (where he scored four times in 54 appearances).

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